Local & Community
NBC Palm Springs News Director Reflects on Loss of NBC4 Helicopter Crew
The loss of NBC4 aerial reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw is being felt throughout the NBC family, including here at NBC Palm Springs.
Moreno and Marciniw were killed Tuesday evening when the NBC4 NewsChopper crashed in Chatsworth while the crew was covering a separate fatal Metro bus and SUV collision. A third person on the ground was also killed. The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash.
Moreno was known to viewers as “Eli in the heli,” covering police pursuits, brush fires, crashes and other breaking news from the air. She and Marciniw had been flying together since 2023.
In one of her final Instagram posts, Moreno described the work she did from Whiteman Airport, including the aircraft, camera equipment and the challenges of covering breaking news from above.
NBC Palm Springs News Director David Reese knows that operation firsthand.
Before joining NBC Palm Springs, Reese spent 15 years working at NBC4 in Los Angeles, making it the longest single stop of his career. He left the Los Angeles newsroom about 14 years ago.
Reese said he did not know Moreno personally because she joined the station after his time there, but he was familiar with the helicopter operation and had flown in the station's helicopter numerous times.
He also recalled the safety briefings that crews received before each flight.
“You know, they always did a safety briefing before we took off about what to do if something happens,” Reese said.
Reese explained that helicopter crews are trained for emergencies, including autorotation, a maneuver that can help control a helicopter's descent following certain types of mechanical failures.
But the crash has also underscored for Reese the unusual position journalists occupy when they cover tragedies.
“When something bad happens, people usually run away from that. We run to it,” Reese said. “That's just who we are as journalists.”
He said journalists are accustomed to covering other people's stories, often from the margins of a tragedy. Becoming the story themselves can be jarring.
Reese also said the loss does not necessarily change his view of the role news helicopters play.
Only a limited number of television markets still operate news helicopters because of the cost, he said. Drones have replaced some helicopter operations, but Los Angeles presents unique challenges because of the city's size and restrictions on drone operations.
A helicopter can also reach a breaking-news scene much faster than a ground crew. Reese said a brush fire in the San Gabriel Valley could take more than an hour to reach by vehicle, while a helicopter could potentially get there in about 15 minutes.
For that reason, Reese said helicopters remain an important tool during major emergencies.
The tragedy, he said, is a reminder that the journalists covering those emergencies also face risks while doing their jobs.
“We forget about the inherent dangers that we face in our business sometimes,” Reese said.
NBC Palm Springs continues to mourn Moreno, Marciniw and the third person killed in the crash, as the investigation into what caused the helicopter to go down continues.
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By: NBC Palm Springs
September 16, 2026
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